They Scattered

A little greed in all...

“I told you not to get separated from the pack,” said Barlow.

“Yeah, you did,” Samson said. “But I was figuring we could go it alone. Who needs them? We can do this, ya know.”

Samson took a deep breath. “I don’t know. I just don’t know. I’m not good with directions. You know how I get all discombobulated. I don’t know North from South.”

“Well, stick with me and you’ll do fine, Sammy ol’ boy. Stick with me.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Yeah, but what?” Barlow said.

“The kid’s on the loose today. As soon as he sees us, we’re goners.”

Barlow said, “Don’t worry about him, Sammy. He’s off at day care. He’s got others to torment.”

“Well, I hope you’re right. So, what’s on our agenda today now that we’ve broken from the pack.”

“Food. Spills. Drops. Get your sniffers out because we’re going hunting.”

Samson said, “Yeah, but that usually takes us inside. I don’t think breaking away from the pack was a good idea after all.”

“Listen, there’s no going back,” said Barlow. “We’re committed. If you want to do the boring, single-file, get-your-scraps thing, you’re free to go find the line and join in. Not me. Good luck finding them though. They’re long gone from where we left them.”

“Hey, look at that over there,” Samson said. “There’s Robby, Ralph, and Sarah. They look lost.”

“Sarah! Ralph! Robby! Over here!” Barlow yelled and then whistled.

“Ah, you guys are a sight for sore eyes,” Sarah said. “We broke with the line an hour ago and we’ve been walking in circles ever since. Feet are hurting now, especially with no clear direction. Also, heard the kid about 10 minutes ago. He’s back and he’s trouble.”

Barlow said, “Hmm. I heard he was in day care and wouldn’t be back before the sun goes down. You heard him, huh?”

“Yeah, afraid so,” said Sarah. “He wasn’t close, but I heard him all right. Somewhere in the house. I know the five-year-old whine anywhere. Heard it enough.”

“Got any leads for food or food drops?”

“Naa, just playing it by ear. See what comes our way.”

“Yeah, we’re in the same boat.”

“I just want to say this in case we get split up. Meet up at Rendezvous Point A – the end of the sidewalk near the swing set if anything happens. That way we’ll have each other.”

“Roger that. Uh oh. The door just opened. The kid has a magnifying glass and he’s headed right for us.”

“Run for your lives! Rendezvous Point A when you can!”

*******